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Playing around with IG army lists and inquisitor support, I see the potential advantage of using mystics to deny enemy drop troops from killing my troops....and especially my basilisks parked behind terrain.  The question is, what is the ideal unit to keep around the rear area to shoot those deepstriking threats?

It seems unlikely they'll deepstrike somewhere my basilisk can shoot them, as I don't believe it can turn to fire as normal, so that's out.

Something like a 3 lascannon AT team would work well for lone suicide crisis suits, but not so well against deepstriking vet squads or podding marines (assuming you can shoot at them, let's not get into THAT argument...)...at least not well enough to stop them from smoking a basilisk.

I could get several warriors with plasma guns/gun servitors with plasma cannons/HBs for the Inq's retinue, but that looks awfully expensive. 

Maybe a vet squad with plasma guns and a lascannon?  Could fight normally during the battle and provide fairly versatile anti-deep striker fire?  A demolisher might work, too, although he might not provide much regular support during a battle if he hangs out in the rear waiting for deepstrikers.  Plus, he's unlikely to completely kill off any decent-sized unit, as you'll roll a couple of 1s with just one shot.  That will pretty much guarantee the special weapon survives to kill the basilisk.

So, dakkites, what do you usually use in concert with your mystics?

I have mine set up like this

Inquisitor Lord w/ Psycannon, Null Rod, Hood, Tarot
2 Gun Servitors with Heavy Bolters
1 Gun Servitor with Plasma Cannon
2 Sages
2 Mystics

That is 257 points, but look at all that fire power.

But depending on what is deep striking in your back yard, I would just shoot them with what will put out the most fire power.  Fire Support Squads with 3 HB are nice, thats 9 HB shots and 6 Lasguns ( rapid fire), heck even a regular infantry squad that is 1 lascannon, 1 plasma gun (could rapid fire), and 8 lasguns rapid firing, that would only be if you are not using a similar setup to what I listed up top. 

I think that 257pts is way too much to spend on the inquisitor.  I also don't see why the basilisk can't be the direct firing unit that the inquisitor with multiple mystics directs.  But lets say that it can't. If it were me, I'd say Demolisher, even though I know that it might not jive with your playing style, its a damn good counterattack tank.  an Ap2 pie plate can ruin a deepstriking terminator squad's day, and the best part is that you can shoot it again next turn if it prevents the deep strikers from killing it.  Otherwise, an HQ command squad with 4 Plasma Guns would be my other choice.

I don't think its possible to craft a foolproof anti-deepstrike defense and it isn't worth a big investment to protect a min/indirect basilisk.  Your playing style seems like it mostly involves massed gunlines backed up with Rough Riders.  Why not just set up your rough riders in a dispersed formation around the basilisks and then either go cheap inquisitor w/3 mystics and an HQ squad to direct or just shell out the points for a few plasma gun warriors in the inq. retinue.

My 2 cents

 

You can only shoot if the unit is 4d6 inches away. Thats an average of 14 or so inches....not too good IMHO. I prefer reliable units and I like to minimize the impact of bad dice rolling.

the key to anti drop pod IMHO is deploying all in one corner and shooting and assaulting the units that come down.

The inq is a great unit anyway, with the emperor's tarot,  psychic hood, and access to assassins, so I'm not investing a huge amount to get 2 mystics to shoot at deepstrikers. 

Samwise (having played me) is right...I usually play a fairly shooty, footsloggy IG army.  A pair of basilisks provides excellent fire support for a cheap price, but they are common/priority targets for enemy deepstrikers.  I don't seriously think a pair of mystics will stop and entire drop podding marine army, but they should be able to provide reasonable safety for my basilisks. 

I don't think the basilisks can provide the direct fire unless the enemy lands within a 45 degree angle to the front, as the gun is fixed and the vehicle can only pivot to shoot in the shooting phase, while shooting due to mystics takes place "as an exception to the normal turn sequence".  May be a good question for YMDC.

I'm open to the idea of a demolisher (I own a pair of them and they are great units),  but it seems a bit pricey to have sit in the backfield waiting for deepstrikers, and it doesn't have the range to really shoot at other things while waiting.  Kind of the same thought on a large screen on rough riders...I'll probably want them forward to kill threats before they start munching my shooters, especially as my troops are usually fairly dispersed (light infantry).

Might have to think this one through a bit...

It seems like the inquisitor lord with some goodies is a great defensive unit, but one that is best kept hidden.  I know when i play the 2 bassy route I usually try to deploy one at each end of the line with a fortress of infantry and Rough Riders around it.  This way the two firebases can cover each other and it also prevents deep strikers from getting too close.  A third (smaller) firebase in the center is a good place for the mystic inquisitor as he can prevent deep strikers from coming in between the two firebases, prime real estate for a podding army trying to split your army in half.  My problem with the inquisitor lord as a fire support unit is that it is expensive and typically something that you don't want to put out in the open(protect the hood), In this respect, a Demolisher works well because it's twenty four inch range goes well with the 4d6 range of the mystics, and it is tough enough to go out in the open if it has to.

The other thing about the demolisher is that it doesn't have to wait around for very long.  You'll probably deploy it someplace where it is a bit hidden, but I imagine that the first deep strikers will land in turn 2 if he is using them in enough strength to be a serious threat.  He'll hopefully get to hit them as they come in and then again if they don't kill him.   If you tool out the Inquisitor as a heavy weapons unit, he'll be a big target or will be waiting around and then be slow to redeploy. 

If you have a spare elite slot, an Inq. with smaller retinue would be a lot cheaper, but still offer the firebase you are looking for with the mystics. Just deck it out with Psycannon, HB/Plasma Servitors and two mystics. If you have the ~20 points for two Sages, cool, but I wouldn't cry over them.
I don't know if I like the Null Rod. I am a little new to the DH Inq's, using WH myself, but it seems like a little overkill points wise with a hood. But then I keep the Inq. so far back the chances for a psyker to target her are pretty small to begin with, and she usually isn't a great target wither her two HB servitors. I would drop the rod though if I was going to be keeping the unit back as a firebase/anti-drop unit though.

The cheaper inq is certainly tempting, but one of the big advantageous or the inq is the hood, and the lesser inq doesn't have a high enough leadership to make him very effective at blocking psychers. Probably an idea worth considering at least, though...

I meant run two Inquisitors, one big pimpin', one more of an assistant crack whore if you will. Only one would handle psychic things, but both could be firebases to help protect the bassie's. Depending on what you are filling your elite slots with this might be good or bad. I don't know IG well enough to guess one way or the other.

I use the following, to excellent effect:

Inq Lord, psycannon, tarot, hood
3 Warriors /w plasma cannon + 2 heavy bolters
2 sages
3 mystics
2 familiars

A null rod gets thrown in if I have the points.

I've been contemplating a slightly different setup to abuse the mixed armor rule:
Inq Lord /w psycannon, tarot, hood
3 Warriors /w plasma cannon + 2 heavy bolters
2 sages
3 mystics
3 acolytes /w power armor
1 familiar

That would give me 4 3+saves, 3 4+ saves, and 6 6+ saves. So the first three models that get removed are a familiar, folowed by two mystics. The squad has lost zero effectiveness to this point...and the majority armor is now a 3+. So the next models to be removed are the acolytes, alternated with the remaining 6+ saves. You have to cause a simply ridiculous number of unsaved wounds on this unit before the heavy weapons are removed...

With regards to protecting a Basilisk(s) from DS, an inquisitor is a bad way to go... To expensive, to vulnerable...

Samwise158 on 9/7/2007 9:49:10 PM ...I don't think its possible to craft a foolproof anti-deepstrike defense...

Sure it is! Its called conscripts, take a squad of 20 or more and form a net wher they are 2 inches apart and make a cloud all around the basilisk(s), then, guess what, not even pods can come down next to it, no range for special weapons, no problem, even better if the basilisk is in the corner.

This is basic IG castle tactics guys...

yes, but to play devil's advocate, they also costs about the same points as an inquis and takes up a doctrine as well as taking up a lot of space in an often crowded IG deployment zone. They wont help too much against anything that deepstrikes with a 24" range and they give an enemy assault unit easy vps. Also, conscripts cant take apsychic hood or an emperor's tarrot.


I find myself in this situation very often with my IG and i find the cheapy Inquis is best. Lord, 3 mystics, hood, tarrot. he is cheap, a scoring unit and VP insurance. I keep him located where he can cover a large amount of my troops and when he comes down i drop a pie plate on the deepstrikers or put some command squad quad plasma love on them. I find it works very well.

Yes, I play that too, actually with conscripts as well.  Its all good, I think my Inquistor is great, in a couple of guises, including that one, but I use him as a Tarot/Hood, and firesupport unit, not really for DS stopping, I think most of that gets done with smart set up.

that is true too, i play pod marines and often i find that a smart player can neutralize my deepstriking by smart setup. Conscripts do work for taking up sapce, though, i have tried that as well, but often i find that they end up getting charged and blokcing movement and LOS to a ton of my army.